Clothes prop



July 5, 1949. H. A. KEARNS CLOTHES PROP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 2, 1946 July 5, 1949. H. A. KEARNS 2,475,548

CLOTHES PROP Filed Aug. 2, 1946 FIQ 4*.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Harry Kearrbs Patented July 5, 1949 UNITED STATES lATENT OFFICE CLOTHES PROP Harry A. Kearns, Uniontown, Pa. Application August 2, 1946, Serial No. 687,829

4 Claims. (Cl. 248-353) My invention relates to an improved clothes prop construction having increased strength by the addition of a very substantial guide or support for the sliding extension rod. By these means the height from the ground of a clothes line can be raised quite considerably to be out of the way for drying or airing the clothes which have been hung over the line nohigher up than to be conveniently done even by a short person.

My clothes prop is furthermore very neat in appearance and can be handled and positioned easily by one person.

In the accompanying drawing, like numerals refer to the same details in the different views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the clothes prop as erected on the ground;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the main D p;

Figure 3 is a similar view of the extension rod which is slidably attached on the main prop;

Figure 4 is a cross section on line 44 of Figure 1 with the cleats used to hold the extension rod on the prop;

Figure 5 is a front elevation of a locking lever for clamping the extension rod;

Figure 6 is a section along line 6-6 of Figure 3 of a clip for firmly holding the lever locked; and

Figures 7 and 8 are a side elevation of a modified form of supporting fixture for the extension rod and a cross section thereof along line B-8, respectively.

In the drawings, reference numeral l0 denotes the main prop of about usual length and preferable square cross section. At its lower end is firmly secured by screws or the like a foot plate H which extends forwardly to accommodate the sliding extension rod i2, which is intended to stand thereon in its lowermost position. At the forward edge of the foot plate II is provided an upstanding lip H3 at a distance from the face of the prop ID to prevent the rod l2 from slipping off the foot plate. On its under side the foot plate II is provided with a long spike l4 which may have screw threads to facilitate its entering and firm positioning in the ground.

A short distance above the bottom end of the prop I0 a metal cleat I5 is attached by screws or rivets to the prop and having two Side arms IS with inturned fingers H for guiding the up and down sliding extension rod l2. Two other metal cleats Mia and I5!) are provided, one at the top of the prop l0 and another a short distance therebelow, which have the same function as the cleat I5.

A pair of metal supporting plates i8, one on. each side of the flat faced prop I0, is secured by rivets or screws ashort distance below the cleat I517. These plates are of some length and at each end they are provided with two forwardly extending arms l9 permitting the extension rod l2 to slide fairly freely between them. The top and bottom edges of said arms are nicked as at 20, 2| intended for engagement with a locking lever 23, carried by the extension rod 12. Lastly, the prop ID has a knob or. handle 29 for gripping theprop when putting it in the ground or lifting it out. i

In Figure 3 is shown a side view of the slidable extension rod I2. As here shown the same has square cross section of a size to fit snugly but slidably between the arms it of the cleats l5 and between the arms IQ of the side plates Hi to permit the prop to have at least three positions of height on the prop, one with the rod standing on the foot plate ll another with the lever 23 engaging the lower arms l9 and a third position with the lever engaging the upper pair of arms Ill.

The locking lever 23 is hinged as at 24 on a bracket 25 firmly attached as by screws 26 or the like, on the front side of the extension rod l2. The lever 23 is provided with a pair of transversely directed pegs or horns 21, which are long enough to engage one pair with the top nicks 20 and the other pair of pegs 21 with the bottom nicks 2 I.

The lever 23 has a forwardly and upwardly bent shank beyond said pegs 2'! and terminates with a handle 28. When the lever is swung down so that its pegs 21 lock with notches 20 and 2!, the lever shank will be gripped between the spring fingers 30 of the clip 3| which is fixed on the rod l2 below the lever bracket 25. In this manner the extension rod becomes firmly locked from both upward and downward movement on the prop l0. It is held upright by the side arms l6, I9 and the fingers l1.

At the top of the extension rod I2 is shown a line gripper provided with a pair of opposing claws 33 bent together with their ends crossing for permitting the easy placing of the clothes line 34 on the prop, but at the same time preventing the line from being jerked or blown off the prop.

The modifications shown in Figures '7 and 8 which are, respectively, side elevation and transverse section on line 8--8 of Figure 7; on the same is shown a guide plate 36 attached to the rear side of the extension rod l2 which engages for said rod secured spacedly on the main prop" and means for securely locking the rod 'in a I" plurality of positions to the prop, comprising a series of pairs of nicked arms extending forwardly from said prop and a hingedleven secured on said rod adapted to engage selectively one pair of nicked arms; and transversely projecting pegs on the lever corresponding in position to said nicks.

2. An extension-i'clothes"prop comprisinga.main prop and a rockslidablywmounted' thereonxufor the purpose of carrying a. clothes line: at dir ferent" heights from the ground, guide: means 25 for said: rod" secured spacedly on the, main prop and means tor securely :lockingrathe rod in a plurality of positions to the" prop; comprising a. series of pairs oic-nielrewarms extendingwforwardly fromzsaid.pmpzandra'hingedlever secured 3t onsaid rod 2adaptedrtonengage selectivelyone air of the" nicked; arms; andtransversely pro.-: jecting pegs on the lever corresponding iniposi tionzv to said nioksaiand a. clip below said" lever clampingthe lever-in ilockediposition: T

3. An extensible clothes prop of the character described comprising two rod bodies disposed in side by side relation, one of said bodies carrying a line engaging element at one end, the opposite end of the other body being adapted to position upon the ground, means coupling the rods together for sliding movement, a pair of arms carried by one rod and extending across the other rod to project forwardly from the said other red, said arms having nicked top'and; bottom edges, a lever pivotally supported upon said other rod to pass between said arms, the pivotal axis of the lever being perpendicular to the arms, andmeans carried by the lever for simultaneous engagement in the nicks in the top and bottom edges of the pair of arms.

4. Anextensible. clothes prop of the character stated in claim 3, with friction holding means carried by the rod upon which the lever is mounted, for receiving and frictionally holding thev lever in arm engaging position.

HARRY A. KEARNS; '1

REFERENCES GITED The. following referenlce's are. oi; record inthe file. otthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 5 714,102 Day Nov: '1 8;(1: 90-2 940,8.25 Heth erington NovsZG, 19 09 1,738,704" Hester Dec; 1 0, 

